Vitamin E for cats skin care?

My 11year old cat seems to have itchy skin because she insists on as much petting, scratching, as possible. Would it be ok to put vitamin E on her dry food once daily?

RESPONSE:

Applying vitamin E topically can help the cat's skin as well as ease the discomfort. You can use liquid vitamin E, simply use the contents of a vitamin E capsule.

You can also give your cat vitamin in her food if you choose. The AAFCO guideline is 1 to 3 IU daily for cats. However, keep in mind that taken by itself or with water, it will not be absorbed well. Food containing fat will maximize the absorption and most canned cat foods contain enough fat to do the job.